Farming would be much, much easier and far less risky if we could control the weather. We can't, of course, so the first point of any "most limiting factor" list — the weather — is always moot. After that, though, there are several management factors well within farmers' control that deserve some attention when gunning... Read More
Category: Crop Schools
Fusarium head blight. It's one nasty disease that most of the Prairies was happy to consider a southern Manitoba problem. The troubling reality, however, is that the disease has been steadily marching west for quite some time, and while it's not news that the disease has been found in Alberta and Saskatchewan, the incidence of... Read More
It's easy to see what's going on with your corn crop above ground. You can see things like changes in colour, difference in height, physical damage. When it comes to a diagnosis however, in most cases it pays to start looking underground. Root analysis can keep you from throwing good money after bad. Adding nutrients... Read More
Any farmer who loves a good list missed out on one fantastic presentation by Ken Ferrie at the recent CornSmart conference held recently at Guelph, Ont. Drawing conclusions from the 2012 growing season, Ferrie, an independent agronomist with Crop-Tech Consulting, ran through the seven key areas of corn production management where he feels farmers need... Read More
Rain or shine, drought or not, nitrogen is king when it comes to targeting the highest yields possible in corn. While it may not be a surprise that even in a dry year corn responds to added nitrogen, there's still work to be done on the economic levels of that response with environmental stewardship in... Read More
The Canadian pulse industry can be proud of what it has accomplished in a relatively short time. From a tiny slice of the acres, to a set crop in many farmers' rotation, pulses are a made-in-Canada success story. SEE MORE PULSE SCHOOL EPISODES Pulse growers have enjoyed steady growth of their industry and international markets... Read More
Everyone has an aunt or an uncle or someone that uses "blanket" terminology. You know what I mean, they call blu rays and CD's DVD's or call all mp3 players "iPods". We're all guilty of it on some level, but the truth is terminology is important. Just ask Tony Vyn about using the terms "drought... Read More
2012 was an excellent year to evaluate the very real opportunity of double crop soybeans in Ontario. A relatively early wheat harvest can open the door to just enough time for a soybean crop planted in early July to reach maturity. With bean prices where they are, it's a gamble some farmers are willing to... Read More
Potassium is critical for in-plant water management, which means that adequate levels of the nutrient at various depths is a key component of how well a crop handles drought stress. While no one can accurately predict a drought, managing overall soil health and nutrient levels is a great way to add some drought risk management... Read More
If some is good, is more better? Well, that depends on what we're talking about. Horst Bohner, soybean specialist with OMAFRA, definitely supports moving towards optimal number of plants per acre and that might mean higher seeding rates, but when it comes to tillage and fertilizer, less can certainly be more. Soybeans are unlike other... Read More